"I trust that my hard work will pay off."

-Tyler Haws

Sometimes we aren't born with the talent to be the best at a sport or at school, but that shouldn't stop you. If you aren't born with the talent then you can just work hard to achieve what you want. For some people certain things come natural, but for others we have to work and work everyday. At times it isn't even worth being born with the talent because the people who have the talent don't use it for the right reasons. They think that because the have the talent already that they don't have to try anymore and that isn't right. We have to try our hardest to achieve what we want in life. We have to have trust in ourselves and know that in the end our hard work will pay off. We don't do things just to do them, there is always a bigger cause in the long run. For example, I have an idol who work his hardest everyday and even though people didn't believe in him, he didn't give up. This person is Shawn Mendes, he has been around for a while now and has accomplished so many things. For being a kid who posted videos on YouTube and Vine to selling out Madison Square Garden in two minutes. If you don't know playing a show in Madison Square Garden is every artist goal, it is a big milestone in their career. This shows that Shawn's hard work like Tyler's paid off. If you have a dream or goal then you should chase it no matter what anyone says. Once you garb you dream then you have to remember to continuing working hard because once you got it doesn't mean you have to stop working.

"True independence can only exist in doing what's right."

-Brigham Young

This statement means that we can only be free when we do what is right. We can't expect to be free if we break the laws or the terms of something important. When we do what is right we get more freedom because we are trusted by others especially our parents. For example, if you lie to your parents one day and they find out about it then they won't trust anymore. If they don't trust you they won't let you go out with your friends or do stuff that you like. You will end up losing your freedom because of that one mistake. We need to do what is right not just to have more freedom, but to feel right about ourselves. I know people who don't have their parents trust because they lied to them before. Unlike my friends I have my parents trust because I try my best to follow the rules they set and ask permission to go to places. You benefit more when you do what is right, it isn't that difficult.

“They’re only truly great who are truly good.”

-George Chapman

It doesn’t matter if you are great in sports, drawing, singing, school, etc. if you aren’t a good person. In this world all that matters is who are you and how nice of a person you are. All the things you had and achieve will leave you in the end, but your character will always stay with you. Who you are will never leave you no matter how old you get, but what you did when you were younger will eventually leave. You can’t say you are a great person when your personality isn’t good. We will only get far in life when we are loving to others. For example, let’s say that right now you are the best athlete and that’s great you should be proud of yourself. As you get older that will start to leave and it can be because you are getting older or you are sick, whatever the reason is you won’t always be the best. One thing that you continue to be with you is your good heart. Now as young people we should strike to be the best person we can!

Optician

Duties and Responsibilities:

They are the most important member in the eye care team because they interact more with patients. They also give advice to patients on lens type, frames, and styling. Opticians write prescription for the ophthalmic laboratory in order for them to know what type of glasses the patient needs. They help patients getting the right size glasses that will fit them, but they can also see good. If the frame needs repair they are the ones who do it. They keep records, payments, prescriptions, inventory, sales, and work orders.

Salary: $36, 820

Education:

The only education you need is a high school diploma. Most prefer if you have taken so college courses like opticianry. You also need to take training involving fitting eyeglasses and contacts, working with patients, and and the use of equipment. Of course you need to have your licensed for the state you are working in. Some states don’t require a license though, so you need to find information on your state.

Demand:

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics this career is expected to increase by 24% between the years 2014-2024.

Reflection:

This career is very interesting and I actually remember seeing opticians when I go to the eye doctor. I wouldn’t like to be this though because I see what they do and I don’t think it fits what I like. Although I wear glasses I wouldn’t like to be involved with working with glasses, especially not my entire life.

“Many think that the short term gain will be the worth the long term pain, but it isn’t. In addition, using steroids is cheating, and there is nothing worst in sports than a cheater. Don’t do it.”

-George Mitchell

Before you do anything in life you have to see the long term effects it will have in the future. This statement is like many other statements. To put this statement into shorter words it will be to think about the consequences that will come in the future. Many times we do things in the moment and we don’t think about what may happen later on. The only difference between this statement and others is that this focus more on sports. In sports sometimes you feel like you aren’t good enough so you decide to cheat your way to the top, sometimes you do it by using steroids and sometimes you use something else. For example, let’s say you aren’t confident in your ability and you feel like you need to cheat so you do. This leads you to victory and you will probably be happy at that moment, but as it sinks in you will remember that people are proud of you for winning something that you know you didn’t deserve. What do you prefer, losing in an honest way, knowing you tried your hardest and that you didn’t give up or cheating your way to the top? In my opinion this is an easy question, I prefer trying my best and losing then winning and cheating. In the long run you want people to remember you for being a great player than a cheater.

Non-Medical Volunteer Opportunities

1. California Science Center

• 16 or older
• Assists arriving guests and schools
• Assists the museum’s curators with plant and animal life, events, and clerical support
• Website: http://www.casciencectr.org/
• Email: VolunteerDept@cscmail.org

2. Children Helping Poor and Homeless People

• Venice, California
• An organization
• Website: http://www.chphp.com/

3. Friends of the Los Angeles River

• In May you go and clean up the LA River
• Website: www.folar.org

4. Heal The Bay

• Clean up at the Santa Monica Bay
• Website: www.healthebay.org

5. American Red Cross

• At least 14 years old
• Helping out in the office or helping out the elders
• Located in different places
• Website: http://www.redcross.org/ca/los-angeles/volunteer/youth-services

"I won't cheat"

-Dale Murphy

This is a very important statement because cheating is something we see people do everyday whether it’s at school, job, a game, etc. People do this like it’s a normal thing nowadays, but it isn't right. Those who cheat are trying to get the easy way out of problems or difficult situations. The person who allows others to cheat is as responsible as the one who cheated. For example, sometimes we try to be helpful and let others “see” our work thinking that they will just get an idea from what we wrote, but in reality we don’t know what they are thinking. We might think they just need help, but they might actually end up copying you, without you knowing. For this reason we shouldn’t trust them when they say, “Can I see your work just to get an idea?” If you cheat it doesn’t automatically transforms you into the worst person ever, especially if you only did it once. If you continue to cheat then that’s when there is a problem because you know you are doing what’s wrong, yet you still do it. In order to achieve your goals you should work hard because you can and you don’t need to cheat.

 

“Character Matters Most.”

-Dale Murphy

This statement means that the most important thing isn’t what you might have, but the kind of person you are. If you have achieve something in life, but you didn’t do it in a honest way it doesn’t matter. Your victory won’t last if you cheated your way to the top. For example, Dale Murphy achieved a lot of things, but at the end of the day all he cares about is being a good person. He just wants to be the kind of person who is always there for his family and forget about the fame and the materials. At the end of the day what matters most is who you are. You will lose everything at one point in your life, but what you will always have with you is who you are. You may think you have lost yourself, but it is always there, you just need to find it. When we go all that is left is our legacy, who we were, and not what we had. You have to remember that everything in life comes and goes, but staying true to yourself and others will always be there. Before you think about materials or fame think about the kind of person you are because that will take you far.

St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patrick was a patron saint of Ireland and is one of Christianity's most known figure. We celebrate it on March 17 because that was the day of his death, which is still a mystery. There are theories about how he might have died and what he did when he was alive, but many haven’t been confirmed, yet. Patrick stated that he had visions from God and an angel telling him to do certain things and go to places. The original color was blue, but they later on changed it to green because the Irish flag is green. The purpose of St. Patrick’s Day is to remind us of Patrick who lead a small group of Christians in the fifth century. Like previously stated St. Patrick’s Day is on March 17 to celebrate and remember the death of Patrick, who was a patron. An interesting fact is that we pinch others on St. Patrick’s Day if they don’t wear green because it is though that back then if you were green then the leprechauns can’t see us because the green makes us invisible. Now if the leprechauns can see us they will pinch us, so nowadays we pinch people when they don’t wear green to remind them that the leprechauns would sneak up on you at anytime and pinch you. Another interesting fact is that Patrick was arrested and sent to Ireland to sentence his jail time. Then he escaped because according to him God came to have and told him to go.

“Great beauty, great strength, and great riches are really and truly of no great use; a right heart exceeds all.”

-Benjamin Franklin

This statement means that material things mean nothing, what matters is your good heart. You can be the richest person ever, the most beautiful, or be the strongest, but at the end that doesn’t mean anything. At the end of the day that doesn’t provide happiness. Happiness comes from having a great heart. When we die no one is going to remember us because of all the things we have. They will remember us by the type of person we were. If all we cared about when we were alive was things then we won’t leave a good legacy in life. All those things won’t make this world better. A great heart will make this world better. We need to put what is more important on top and forget about everything else. First, we need to make sure we are good people and forget about materials. The most important thing in life is having a good and right heart.

Medical/Health Volunteer Opportunities

1. Kaiser Permanente LAMC

• Assisting in hospital playrooms
• Playing board games
• Reading to children
• Answering call lights, providing patient support
• Providing customer service
• You need to do 200 hours
• Go here for more info: https://www.volgistics.com/ex/portal.dll/ap?ap=2054278339

     

    2.  Children's Hospital Los Angeles

• Assisting in hospital’s playroom
• Playing board games
• Reading to children
• Must be at least 15 and 18 to work directly with patients
• Volunteer for 3-4 hours for 8 consecutive weeks
• Go here for more info: http://www.chla.org/volunteering-our-hospital

    3.  UCLA Health

• Must be 16 or older
• Different work, but the goal is to help someone
• This is at Westwood Facilities
• Go here for more info: https://www.uclahealth.org/volunteer/volunteer-at-westwood

“It may make a difference to all eternity whether we do right or wrong today.”

-James Freeman Clarke

If today we decide to do something right then that will direct our future to the right direction. If today we choose to do something wrong that will send our future to the wrong direction. The choices we make together will matter later. Everything we do in life has an effect on us, one way or another. We can’t do stuff and think that the world isn’t going to come back at us because of it. No, whatever we did has a consequence whether it’s a good one or not. We have to make good choices today to have good karma come to us in the future. For example, let’s say that my friend decided to do drugs and at that point they feel good about it and they think that life is going fine. Then days later terrible things begin to happen because karma came back at her. The consequences of your actions don’t come to you right away sometimes they take a while, but they will come at some point and usually when you least expect them. Just do what is right and you don’t have to worry about bad things coming your way.

    

Ophthalmologist

Duties and Responsibilities:

Ophthalmologist are doctors who treat illness, diseases, and conditions that affected the eye. People usually confuse them for an optometrists, but the difference is that ophthalmologist perform eye surgery and treat eye disease. They also examine eyes and prescribe contact lens or glasses.

Salary: $274,119

Education:

They need to earn a medical degree and the education is fairly long. First they need a 4-year bachelor’s degree, then 4-year of medical school, after that they need 3-8 years of of internship and residencies. Some undergraduate programs include pre-med, biology and chemistry. Coursework that will help you are biochemistry, anatomy, physiology, organic chemistry, physics and medical ethics. You will also need to get your license to work in a certain state. In total you do about 16 years of education for this medical career.

Demand:

According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics the increase is fairly good. It has 14% grown from 2014-2024. Without thinking of the number, Ophthalmologist demand is high because a lot of people need eye treatment. As the increase of technology increase and more kids use electric devices the need for this career will increase.

Reflection:

I will like to learn more about this medical career, but I wouldn’t become one. I want to learn more because since I wear glasses I am interested in what I have and everything related to the topic. I want to know why of preventing kids from using glasses at a young age. I also want to learn about the different type of treatments for the different type of diseases, illness, and conditions.

“The best way to predict your future is to create it.”

-Charles Ketterer

You can’t really predict your future, but you can get an idea of where it’s leading you by creating it. You can create goals for yourself that you will accomplish that somehow it will lead your future to the right or wrong direction. Even if we try to create our future and try to head to the right direction it doesn’t always go the way we want because life is full of surprises. One day all your goals can become true and the next the world flips around and your future change. For example, I set goals for myself that will lead me to completing the bigger picture of what I want my future to look like. I can’t be to sure that my future will be like I’m planning it because it might change. Nothing in life is sure until it actually happens. For example, you might be aiming for a certain dream and you may feel like you are almost reaching it, but you can’t be sure into you actually reached it. Life can change in a blink of an eye which is why you should be ready for anything that may come your way. Don’t predict your future because you might be disappointed of the end result.

Operating Room Technician

Duties and Responsibilities:

They are also known as certified surgical technologist and are responsible for pre-, intra-. And post-surgery duties. They are supervised by surgeons and nurses. Most work in hospitals, but others work outpatient care centers, ambulatory surgical care center, and in the office of doctors and dentists. There are three different types of operating room technicians and depending on which one you become you will have different duties and responsibilities. Operating room technicians usually help out the doctors during surgery or anything that has to be with surgeries.

Salary: $45,940 (2015)

Education:

In order to become a operating room technician you need to graduate from an accredited surgical technology program. You also need training, which can be provided by the community or colleges. Surgical technology programs last from 9-15 months. Certificate or diploma programs lasted around 2 years. There are also some courses you have to take to become an operating room technicians. Afterwards you need to get your certified and you license to practice your career in that state. You will have different education/training depending on which of the three operating room technician you want to be.

Demand:

It has grow by 15% for all three different types.

Reflection:

I wouldn't like to be an operating room technician because with the research I did, I didn't find it interesting. My interests have nothing to do with the duties of this medical career. I know it os a very important job and I hope more people join it in the future.

"Ask yourself is it right or wrong and act accordingly"

-Otto Graham, Jr.

Before you take an action you should ask yourself a very important question, "Is it right or wrong." If it is right then go ahead and do it, but if it's wrong then you should stay away from it. If we think about this question before making a decision then we will always choose the right. There are some things that we want to do without thinking because we know that if we thought about it we will figure out that it's wrong. For example, when I am faced with a difficult decision I always try to ask myself if it is the right thing to do or not. If I figure it is wrong then most of the times I turn my back to it. Sometimes it is difficult to turn your back on certain things, but after a while it will become easier. Another example is if my parents said no to something then I should act according and not do it. In life there is always a choice, we can either choose to do what's right or what's wrong. You can't say someone force you to do something because since beginning you had a choice and you decided to not take it. If you had done what was right at the beginning then you won't be in a wrong situation. You have to remember that you always have a choice and that it's always up to you.